Yet the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 8″ acknowledges he hasn’t always been mentally present for his fights, and he expects his next bout to reveal whether he is capable of regaining his former glory.

Escudero stormed out of the gate in his post-“TUF” career and stopped Cole Miller with strikes at UFC 103. But he stumbled after that with a loss to Evan Dunham, and nine months later Charles Oliveira submitted him. Afterward, UFC President Dana White said Escudero wasn’t focused on the job and cut him from the promotion.

Undeterred, Escudero headed back to the regional circuit and went 5-1 before getting a second shot in the UFC. He lost decisions to Jacob Volkmann and Mac Danzig, and once again, he was a free agent.

“I went back to the gym to find what’s missing,” he said. “I felt physically ready (for those fights). I might have had something a little bit on my [mind].”

Whatever it was that was weighing him down was making him more cautious inside the cage, and if he didn’t fix it, more losses were in store.

Escudero, a longtime Arizona resident, helped UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson prepare for a rematch with Frankie Edgar at UFC 150 and then rolled into a camp for Griffin. Along with Henderson, he worked with UFC vets Jamie Varner and Joe Riggs and said a variety of partners gave him new looks.

“I put in the hours to take this as a professional again,” he said.

The 26-year-old fighter now says he’s more focused on improving his technique in the gym rather than simply running through a physical routine.

“Back in the day, I would do the same thing, but I wouldn’t apply it to my sparring,” Escudero said. “I was just a scrapper. Now, everything I work on, I try to improve it on a daily basis.”

Although he’s put in the work, there’s still as much pressure as ever to perform on fight night. And there are more things to weigh on his mind: a two-fight losing streak, his pride, and perhaps most importantly, a new daughter to support.

“You can’t let pressure sink you away,” Escudero said. “I can’t go in there thinking, ‘I must win.’ So, I just go out there and fight and have fun. I’ll let everything take care of itself.”

As to whether he’s able to realize that mindset in the middle of a fight with Griffin, who himself is looking to rebound following a loss to Bart Palaszewski at UFC 137, is yet to be determined.

“We will find out his weekend,” Escudero said. “Just stay tuned for this fight. You’ll see the old Efrain back that has nothing to lose and everything to gain and has fun.”

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